LOCATION RUBYCREEK IDEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive Andic Dystrocryepts
TYPICAL PEDON: Rubycreek very bouldery medial silt loam; open-burned woodland; on a southeast-facing slope of 38 percent at 5,600 feet elevation. When described on September 9, 1993, the soil was slightly moist throughout. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 0.5 inch; leaves, twigs, grass, moss, and bark. (0.5 to 1 inch thick)
A--0.5 to 2 inches; grayish brown (10YR 5/2) medial silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; weak very fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; strongly acid (pH 5.5); abrupt smooth boundary. (1 to 3 inches thick)
Bw1--2 to 7 inches; yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) medial silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine, few fine roots; common very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately acid (pH 6.0); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
Bw2--7 to 11 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) medial silt loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (3 to 6 inches thick)
2Bw3--11 to 19 inches; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) very stony loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 20 percent stones; slightly acid (pH 6.5); clear wavy boundary. (4 to 16 inches thick)
2Bt--19 to 28 inches; pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) very cobbly loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) moist; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; very few faint clay films on ped faces; common faint and few distinct silica coats on ped faces that are light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) moist; 10 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.3); clear wavy boundary. (0 to 18 inches thick)
2C--28 to 60 inches; mixed pale yellow (2.5Y 7/4) and pale yellow (2.5Y 7/3) very cobbly sandy loam, light olive brown (2.5Y 5/4) and light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, nonsticky and slightly plastic; common very fine tubular and irregular pores; few faint clay films on gravel that are dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/6) moist; small part of horizon is discontinuous weakly cemented by silica that is gray (10YR 6/1) moist; 25 percent gravel, 30 percent cobbles; slightly acid (pH 6.1).
TYPE LOCATION: Boundary County, Idaho; about 7.5 miles northwest of Naples, about 300 feet south and 1,050 feet west of the northeast corner of sec. 23, T. 61 N., R. 2 W; Latitude - 48 degrees, 37 minutes, 58 seconds North; Longitude - 116 degrees, 33 minutes, 10 seconds West.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Average annual soil temperature - 39 to 43 degrees F.
Average summer soil temperature - 54 to 58 degrees F. without an O horizon
Moisture control section - dry mid August to September (15 to 30 days), moist mid September through July
Surface stones and boulders - 0.1 to 15 percent
Depth to bedrock - more than 60 inches
Solum thickness - 18 to 34 inches
Volcanic ash mantle - 8 to 13 inches thick
Volcanic glass content - 30 to 65 percent
Acid-oxalate extr. Al + 1/2 Fe - 1.0 to 3.0 percent
Phosphate retention - 55 to 90 percent
A horizon
Value - 4 or 5 dry, 2 or 3 moist
Chroma - 2 or 3 dry or moist
Texture - MEDL-SIL, MEDL-L, GR-MEDL-L
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 0 to 25 percent
Bulk density - 0.65 to 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter
Bw horizons
Hue - 10YR or 7.5YR
Value - 5 or 6 dry, 3 or 4 moist
Chroma - 4 or 6 dry or moist
Texture - MEDL-SIL, MEDL-L, CB-MEDL-L, CB-MEDL-SIL, GR-MEDL-L, GR-MEDL-SIL, ST-MEDL-SIL
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 0 to 25 percent
Cobble content - 0 to 15 percent
Stone and Boulder content - 0 to 20 percent
Bulk density - 0.65 to 1.00 grams per cubic centimeter
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
2Bw3 horizon
Value - 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma - 3 through 6 dry or moist
Texture - STV-L, CBV-L, CBV-SL, GRV-SL, STV-SL, BYV-SL
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 5 to 35 percent
Cobble content - 5 to 25 percent
Stone and Boulder content - 0 to 30 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
2Bt horizon (absent in some pedons)
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Chroma - 3 or 4 dry or moist
Texture - CBV-L, CBV-SL, STV-SL
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 5 to 15 percent
Cobble content - 15 to 30 percent
Stone and Boulder content - 0 to 20 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
2BC horizon - present in some pedons
Hue - 2.5Y or 10YR
Chroma - 3 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - GRV-SL, CBV-SL, STV-SL
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 15 to 30 percent
Cobble content - 10 to 20 percent
Stone and Boulder content - 5 to 20 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
2C horizon
Hue - 10YR or 2.5Y
Value - 6 to 8 dry, 4 to 6 moist
Chroma - 2 to 6 dry or moist
Texture - CBV-SL, CBX-SL, STX-SL, GRV-SL, BYX-SL
Clay content - 3 to 10 percent
Gravel content - 10 to 30 percent
Cobble content - 15 to 30 percent
Stone and Boulder content - 0 to 30 percent
Reaction - moderately acid or slightly acid
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Buhrig, Goodlow, Growden, Hun, Mohaggin, Prouty, Rustlerpeak, and Threebutte (T), series. Buhrig and Threebutte soils have a lithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches. Goodlow and Growden soils have an umbric epipedon. Hun soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 40 to 60 inches. Mohaggin soils have ashy textural modifiers in the A horizon. Moses, Prouty and Rustlerpeak soils have a paralithic contact at depths of 20 to 40 inches.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Rubycreek soils are on mountains, footslopes, and ridgetops. Slopes range from 2 to 65 percent. They formed in glacial till derived from granite, gneiss, and schist rocks with a thin mantle of volcanic ash. Elevations range from 5,000 to 6,000 feet. The climate is cold, with cool moist summers and cold wet winters. The average annual air temperature is 38 to 42 degrees F. and average annual precipitation is 45 to 60 inches. The average frost-free period is 30 to 60 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Pend Oreille, Redraven, and Roman(T) series. Pend Oreille soils are on north-facing mountain slopes at lower elevations and have a volcanic ash mantle greater than 14 inches thick. Redraven soils are on north-facing mountain slopes and have a volcanic ash mantle greater than 14 inches thick. Roman(T) soils are on similar landscape positions and are sandy-skeletal in the control section.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium to very rapid runoff; permeability is moderate in the upper part and moderately rapid below.
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation, and watershed. Potential natural vegetation is mainly subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, white bark pine, western larch, and lodgepole pine with an understory of rustyleaf menziesia, common beargrass, big blueberry, Utah honeysuckle, myrtle pachystima, common yarrow, and pearly everlasting.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Northern Idaho, and possibly northwestern Montana, and northeastern Washington. This series is not extensive
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Boundary County, Idaho, 2002.
REMARKS:
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - the zone from 0.5 to 7 inches (A and Bw1 horizons)
Cambic horizon - the zone from 2 to 28 inches (Bw1, Bw2, 2Bw3, and 2Bt horizons)
Volcanic ash mantle - the zone from 0.5 to 11 inches (A, Bw1, Bw2 horizons)
Particle-size control section - the zone from 10 to 40 inches (part of the Bw2, 2Bw3, 2Bt, and part of the 2C horizon)